Out in the field

Meet NFPA's Public Education Advisors

NFPA’s Public Education Advisors are contracted consultants who support our educational outreach efforts. Every state and province is assigned an Advisor and the Advisors provide support to several states/provinces forming a region. Each state/province has identified a contact person who coordinates activities. The advisors communicate with the contacts and provide the following services:

Serve as a resource to assigned territory by helping them develop educationally sound fire and life safety education strategies.

Position NFPA as the primary source for fire safety information.

Promote programs such as Learn Not to Burn®, Remembering When™, Fire Prevention Weekand other materials offered by NFPA.

Visit assigned states/provinces to meet with assigned contact and present or exhibit at state/provincial conferences.

Work with the NFPA regional directors for assigned region to offer support to the NFPA package of codes, standards and public education.

Monica Colby

Hi, I am Monica Colby, Northwest Regional Advisor, and I am a Fire and Life Safety Specialist with the Rapid City Fire Department in South Dakota. I have been a fire and life safety educator since 1998 serving as a city, district, state, and regional fire and life safety educator. I am a South Dakota Fire Corps State Advocate, enjoys working on Vision 20/20 projects, and serve on the NFPA Education Section Board of Directors.

Antiliano De Jesus Estrella

Hello! I’m Antiliano De Jesus Estrella, the New England Region Public Education Regional Advisor. I’m a 17-year veteran of the Providence, Rhode Island, Fire Department. I am also a trainer and consultant for NFPA’s bilingual programs in the United States, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. I sit on NFPA’s Educational Message Advisory Committee and the Urban Fire Safety Public Education Task Force.

Meredith Hawes

Hi, I’m Meredith Hawes and I’m proud to serve as an Education Advisor for the Central Region for NFPA. I am also a member of the Fire Safety for People with Disabilities Task Force for NFPA, and I work full-time as the Fire & Life Safety Public Educator for the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department in Northern Michigan. My background includes an Elementary Education degree from Central Michigan University and I am currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration through CMU. I’ve previously worked in both non-profit administration and corporate training.

In 2010, my local department was awarded the Rolf Jensen Award from NFPA, and that same year I was honored to receive the Public Fire Educator of the Year award from the Michigan Fire Inspector’s Society.

Pat Mieszala

Hi! I’m Pat Mieszala, the Lead and Southwest Regional Advisor, assisting the Western Region States and our team of NFPA Advisors. As an R.N., I’m the President/Founder of Burn Concerns, National Consultant and Education Services (since 1981). I live in beautiful Burbank, CA and participate in the CA FPO/So. CA Public Education Committee, providing NFA Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Specialist courses throughout CA, and serve as an Advisory Board Member to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation of CA.

I’ve been a “sister” to the fire service since the early ‘70’s, through my public education work with the Chicago Fire Department, and IL Fire Inspector’s Association, while working as a psychiatric nurse at CooK County Hospital’s Burn Unit. I’ve been a member of NFPA since 1978, and a contract NFPA Public Education Field Advisor since 1982. Currently, I serve on the Educational Messages Advisory Committee (EMAC); the Urban Fire Safety Public Education Task Force; the NFPA 1035 Standard Technical Committee. I’m a charter member of the NFPA Education Section, and have served on the Executive Board for 14 years, currently serving as Chair.

Kim O'Malley

Hi! My name is Kim O’Malley, the Mid-Atlantic Region Public Education Advisor. I am a fourth-generation member of the Citizens’ Hose Fire Company in Smyrna, Delaware. I have proudly served on the fire prevention committee for the past twelve years and as co-chair for the past three years.

In 2004, I was hired as the Risk Watch Coordinator for the State of Delaware. Injury prevention activities with children are an important part of my life and I love working with the children and with the different agencies in Delaware. I also serve as the State Chair for Safe Kids Delaware, one of the Directors for the Children’s Fire Safety Foundation, co-chair of the Safe Summer Day Committee, and as an Advisory Committee member for the Wellness Communities of Kent County.

Art Pullan

Hi, my name is Art Pullan. I have been involved in the fire service for 37 years, 30 of which I served with the Brockville Fire Department in Ontario, Canada. I have been a Canadian NFPA Public Education Advisor since 1991. I am presently the Executive Director for the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council; an Ontario based charitable organization chaired by the Fire Marshal of Ontario. In this capacity I work with key stake holders to support fire departments in their public education efforts.

My wife Betty is a retired school teacher and curriculum coordinator and has provided me with tremendous support over the years in the public education arena.

The fire service is a profession that has provided me with a tremendous amount of opportunity to meet dedicated men and woman who are committed to putting public safety at the fore front in their community.

Kelly Ransdell

Hi I’m Kelly Ransdell. I live outside of Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina. As the Southern Regional Advisor to the Public Education Division of NFPA, I work with state educators in 10 southeastern states to assist with fire and life safety information. I am a liaison to the states for workshops, conferences, current events, new initiatives, and outreach to the grassroots fire service. This position has brought me and the network into direct contact with the latest data, reports, and media information from the leading safety source in nation, NFPA. That helps make the tremendous job educators do easier!

I’m also the deputy director of the Prevention and Programs Division of the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the state director of Safe Kids North Carolina. In this capacity, I oversee all injury prevention programs across North Carolina and have a staff of six to assist me. We work with local Safe Kids Coalitions to prevent accidental injuries to children 14 and under. I also serve as the secretary of the NFPA 1035 committee and serve on the Advisory Committee of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.